Permanent makeup and corrective medical tattooing can change a person’s life in a positive way—but only when those procedures are performed correctly and safely. Before you look for a permanent cosmetics specialist, please be aware of these facts:

FACT #1: Idaho, like most states, does not require a license for permanent cosmetics, piercing, or body art tattooing. There is no state licensing board or agency regulating those facilities or technicians.

FACT #2: Idaho, like most states, does not require an examination to be passed before someone can do permanent makeup. Anyone can tattoo makeup anywhere with any amount of training. The person’s background, experience, qualifications, or skills do not matter.

FACT #3: Idaho, like most states, does not require Health Department inspections. A permanent makeup artist’s location, equipment, or sterilization methods are not inspected or supervised by anyone. They are not required to perform procedures in one location—they can move around to different salons, work from home, or work in their client’s homes.

FACT #4: Sterile needles are not enough to prevent disease transmission. Permanent makeup is invasive and cross-contamination can occur even if sterile needles are used. If a tattooist uses unsafe equipment or does not know, understand, or follow correct infection control guidelines, a person can contract a disease like Hepatitis. Without health department regulations and inspections, there are no assurances for public safety.

Dr. Reed educates consumers on cosmetic tattooing safety because so many people come to her for help. Sometimes she can correct or improve another technician’s work, and sometimes she cannot. So she tries to prevent anyone from being harmed by going to the wrong technician. Below are some alarming real pictures of bad permanent makeup and true stories from consumers:

Photos of Permanent Makeup Mistakes
(Please Note: These procedures were NOT done by Dr. Laura Reed)

Poor Liner Color & Shape

Lip Color Leakage (Migration)

Poorly Shaped Liner & Color

Flesh Colored Tattoo Over Bad Brow

Brows Redone Three Times

Uneven Faded Eyebrows

Uneven Brows & Blotchy Eyeliner

Blotchy Eyeliner

Tissue Damage from Lower Liner

Secret Eyeliner Injections Gave Her a Serious Infection… “Many permanent makeup procedures are offered at nail shops, hair salons, or day time spas. Often the technicians cannot even communicate with us due to a language barrier. PLEASE, PLEASE—remember that your decision to use these facilities and/or technicians can have a very serious end result, which happened to me. You should NEVER be given a shot for any permanent makeup procedure. If your technician wants to give you an injection, RUN! Without my knowledge or approval, I had FOUR injections for permanent eyeliner—two on each eye. While my eyes were closed, the woman injected me with some kind of numbing stuff when I thought she was putting the eyeliner on. My eyes got a serious infection, and I had to get antibiotics from my doctor and wear sunglasses for over two weeks! Neither my doctor nor I had any idea what chemical she had injected me with. Later when I called the technician and asked her about it, she acted like she did not understand my question. So I had someone else call her that spoke her language. Even then she denied that she had to have a license to administer injections and said no one else had ever had a problem. Yeah, right!”--Donna R., CEO of Escrow Company

Her Shaved Tattooed Eyebrows Turned Blue… “When I went to get permanent eyebrows, I was told I had to shave off my own eyebrows first. I didn’t know any better, so I said “Okay.” Big mistake! Things then went from bad to worse. Even though the lady doing the tattooing showed me where my eyebrows would be and how they would look, for some reason she did not tattoo them in the place she showed me. When she finished, I looked at them and wanted to cry! They were uneven and above my original eyebrow hairline, arched too high and too pointy, and the ends were square, so I looked harsh and angry. And later they turned a bluish-brown color. I tried several micro-dermabrasion treatments which helped them fade, but it didn’t remove them. I have talked to different permanent makeup experts and doctors, and they all recommended laser tattoo removal. When I can afford the laser removal treatments, I will have my tattooed eyebrows removed. Then I will get new ones applied by someone good like Dr. Reed. Until then, I have to live with these ugly eyebrows every day and I hate it.”
--Maria N., Medical Billing Specialist

Her Permanent Lipstick was Excessive and Crooked… “Previously I had permanent eyebrows and eyeliner done and was satisfied with it. So I wanted permanent lipstick and liner. The girl who does my nails told me that she did permanent makeup and kept asking me to have her do it. I thought, “Why not? She always does a good job on my nails.” Well, that was a big mistake. My bottom lip came out crooked and also my top lip. Plus she drew it way beyond the borders so I looked “clownish”. I wound up needing removal treatments because I didn’t take the time to look for someone who knew what they were doing. There were plenty of people I could have asked for a reference, but I didn’t. I just wasn’t thinking.”--Ellen S., Receptionist

Low Prices Caused a Painful Experience… “Hello, my name is Libby and I'd like to share with you a bad experience: Last year I had permanent cosmetic makeup applied. The lady was referred to me by my hairdresser and her office was located in a back room of the hair salon. I was very interested in having lip liner, eyeliner and eyebrows done. I asked her about the pain and she told me “It would not be bad.” I figured that after having 3 kids, I could handle it. Wrong! The pain was so bad, I kept hanging in there thinking it would get easier, but it hurt more as we went along. I wanted to stop, however, it was something I really wanted to have done and the technician kept saying, “Just a little more, just a little more” trying to move on. After I healed and needed a touch-up, I never went back because of the pain. The price was cheap but the experience was high priced. As the old saying goes—you get what you pay for!”--Libby C., Bank Teller

Permanent Makeup in Someone’s House May Be Risky… “I decided to get permanent eyeliner when I was living in a smaller city. I asked around and found a lady who did permanent makeup inside her home. At the time, I didn't think about asking her why she did it inside her house instead of a regular business location. When she finished the procedure, she brought 2 cold eggs from her refrigerator and laid them on my eyes to “soothe them.” She said she used eggs “because they fit into the eye area perfectly.” Luckily, I healed without any serious infection. But it dawned on me later that putting an uncooked egg on freshly broken skin was dangerous (Salmonella and E-Coli bacteria can be on the outside eggshell as well as the inside). At the time, I was working as an EMT so I should have known better! What really got me was when she took the used needle, wrapped it up, and put it in an envelope with my name on it. I asked her about it and she said “I’m saving your needle for your touch-up” and “no need to worry because I only use a person’s own needle on them.” I never went back to her. Later, when I decided to get permanent eyebrows, I chose a qualified person who worked in an appropriate business environment with the proper business licenses.”--Michaela T., Rancher

She Got an Eye Infection From Her Own Household Product… “My toddler was keeping me busy, so I wanted permanent makeup to save time. I had eyeliner done by a lady in a beauty shop who was referred to me. The procedure really hurt, but I survived it. She told me to keep it moist with Vaseline® for a week afterward, which I did. She didn’t give anything to me, but I had some at home and used that. I wound up getting an infection and had to see an ophthalmologist. The only thing he could think of was that I got the infection from “double-dipping” in the family jar of Vaseline®. I just never thought of that.--Jeanne C., Optician

For guidelines on how to choose a qualified permanent makeup specialist, visit our page called Consumer Safety Tips.